Community Activities

Community Activities. Manzanar. , When not working or attending school, incarcerated Japanese Americans looked for ways to occupy their time within the square-mile camp. When someone "with initiative or talent" wanted to start a class or club, they sought an available recreation hall and advertised through the community activities department. , , Each of the 36 blocks had recreation halls-a barracks on the southwest corner of the block that was not used for living space. Recreation halls served as libraries, churches, classrooms, and places to learn arts and music or hold club meetings; one hall even served as Manzanar's museum. , , "Goh, shogi, drama, musicals, woodcarving, gardening and poem writing are the favorite pastimes for the elderly men. Embroidery, flower making, knitting, leathercraft, sewing, dramas and musicals are the predominant recreations for the women." , Manzanar Free Press, September 10, 1943 , , These pictures show people using recreation halls in various ways. , Above: Women and children create artificial flowers during a class in Block 14. , From left: The Venice Barbell Club and other sports groups held meetings in recreation halls. , A woman reads in the Japanese books section of the Block 22 Library. Men play Goh in Block 10. , Artist Tamekichi Carl Hibino paints a mural in the Block 8 Visual Education Museum.